Thomas l



(No Model.)

T. L. SMITH. GONDUIT FOR UNDERGROUND LINES. No. 297,463, 7 Patented Apr. 22,1884.

e 5 .e E 3- y 1% l A L E .1 d lg WITNESSES INVENTOR W23 ThamasLSmiz fh,

By his fltzorneys N PETERs FhoXo-Lilhographer. Washinglnn, D. c.

UNlTED Erarns THOMAS L. SMITH, OF FEWV YORK,

"Ararat Orrica.

N. Y., ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO DANIEL A. MATHE\VS, OF SAME PLACE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 297/l-63, dated April 22, 1884.

Application filed February 4, 1884. (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that l, THOMAS L. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing in New York, in the county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Conduits for Underground Lines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the classof conduits employed for supporting and inclosing electric conductors beneath the earth.

The invention has for its object, generally, to provide means for laying such conductors in a convenient manner, supporting them in such a manner that ready access may be had thereto for the purpose of preparing them or securing electrical connections therewith, and especially to provide means for leading the conductors around corners and extending them from one conduit to another without occasioning any material change in the relative positions of the several conductors.

The invention is especially adapted to and designed to be employed in connection with an underground system wherein the conductors are supported within a suitable conduit preferably composed of alternating short and long sections, by means of bridges placed in the longer sections, and constructed with up wardly-projecting arms or fingers, along the sides of which are formed notches for receiving the several conductors. The sides of these arms or fingers preferably incline slightly in one direction or the other, and thus the conductors, when in position, lie in different vertical planes. It is evident that a series of conductors thus supported will be liable to be brought into contact with each other to some extent when the directions of some or all of them are changed-as, for instance, when they are turned about sharp anglesunless some special means are provided for supporting them at such points.

My invention consists in placing at the corners which are to be turned a series of pillars extending diagonally across one of the con duits or along the line of union of two or more of the conduits. These pillars are preferably in the form of truncated cones, tapering from their bases toward their upper extremities, and they are provided with spiral grooves or corrugations in the form of screw-threads, for the purpose of more securely holding the wires in position. The conductors, as they are led from the supporting-bridges, are turned about a corresponding pillar, in one directionor the other, accordingly as they are led from one side or the other of the corresponding finger or arm of the bridge. They are, moreover, held in the same vertical positions upon the pillars as they occupy when supported in the notches upon the bridges. Having been thus turned about the pillars, they maybe illdependently led into a conduit extending at any desired angle from the conduit from which they proceed, and certain of the conductors may at the same time be continued along the same conduit, their direction being unchanged.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a conduit embodying the features of this invention, and Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same. Fig. 3 is a detached view, showing the construction of the supportingbridges.

Referring to these figures, A represents the main conduit, which is preferably of clay or cement or other suitable non-conducting 1naterial, and which is preferably composed of two classes of sections, a and a". The sections a are of considerably greater length than the sections a and form the main portion of the conduit. One of the shorter sections, a", preferably intervenes between the adjacent ends of every two of the longer sections, a. All of the sections of the conduit are preferably constructed in two partsa flat portion, I), which forms the base of the conduit, upon and over which fits a curved cover or top, If. The ends of the bottom portions, Z), of the longer sections, a, preferably overlap the corresponding portions of the short sections, a, as shown at J a. The upper curved portions, If, of the short sections, a, however, overlap the ends of the longer sections, a, as shown at a. By reason of this construction I am enabled to lay the bottom of both sections, a and a", and the upper portions or covers, I), of the longer sections, a, before finally putting the covers I) of the sections a in place. This method of construction greatly facilitates the operation of laying the conductors.

' desired to place in the conduit.

Q I 297K563 At suitable points within the sections a are placed bridges 1D. One of these bridges is preferably placed at about the central point of each of the longer sections, a, and they are preferably constructed of earthenware or other suitable nonconducting material. these bridges consists of a series of vertical fingers or arms, 0 6, &c. The sides of each of these fingers converge toward its upper extremity, so that the notches or grooves 1', formed in their sides for supporting conductors, do not fall in the same vertical planes. The notches f are placed at any suitable distances apart, and in number they are as great as the number of conductors which it may be The conduetors, when they are laid in the conduit, are sup ported by these notches; and for the purpose of preventing them from being accidentally displaced suitable nonconducting plates, g, may be seen red against the sides of the lingers, thereby closing the grooves or notches f.

\Vhen it is desired to lead asecond or branch conduit from the main conduit, or to cause the main conduit to turn a corner, as illustrated at A, a series of pillars in number corresponding to the number of fingers c, with which each of the bridges IE is provided, is placed at the intersecting line of the two conduits or sections of conduit, as shown at 11 H &c. These pillars are securely supported at the bottom of the conduit, preferably by being mounted upon a support, J, adapted to be fitted in the base I) of the conduit. Il' desired, the upper extremities of the pillars H may be fitted into corresponding apertures formed in the cover I). The pillars are preferably made of the same material as the conduit, or they maybe made of sheet metal with a covering of cement or earthenware of suitable thickness, and glazed. They preferably taper toward their upper extremiti cs, as shown in the drawings, and they are provided with spiral grooves, corrugations, or screw-threads h, which have sufficient size and depth to atford the conductors a secure support. These pillars are respectively located at the points where lines extending from the corresponding fingers, c, of the bridges E in the intersecting conduits meet each other. Thus the pillar H is placed in such a position that the conduct ors extending from the linger c of the bridge of the last bridge E in the section or conduit A will touch the pillar, and upon being turned around the same they will be in the direct line with the corresponding finger, e, of the first bridge E in the section of conduit A. Likewise the pillars H H and II are made to correspond in position to the fingers 0 c, and c of the respective bridges.

In laying the conductors, it is desirable to lead those which are supported upon the righthand sides of the fingers c to the right-hand sides of the pillars H and turn them about the same toward the right hand, or in the direction of the movement of the hands of a Each of watch, and to lead the conductors which are upon the left-hand sides of the fingers to the left-hand sides of the pillars, and to turn them about the same in the opposite direction. The conductors may be simply turned haltround the pillars, or, it desired, may be wrapped around the same once or more times. The conductors in this manner receive an independent support by means ol. the pillars II,

and it is evident that they may be led in one direction or another, as desired, from the pillars, which, being tapering and of circular eross'seetion, and in diameter approximately equal to the width of the fingers 0, will main tain the conductors at the same distance apart as the fingers of the bridges, while the screwthreads securely hold them in their relative vertical positions.

It is evident that the conductors leading from the diil'crent sides of the bridge-fingers should'be in dill'erent horizontal planes, so that they may not eonilict with each other upon the pillars. For this purpose the notches f, upon the opposite sides of the lingers of the bridges, are preferably in dil't'erent hori zontal planes.

In the drawings I have represented certain of the conductors L coming from the conduit A as being led from the pillars toward the right hand into the conduit Afland others as extend ing straight forward. into the continuation A of the conduit A. It will be observed, however, that in the construction illustrated the series of pillars l-l being arranged diagonally from the point It to the point It, those of the conductors which are led into the section A will preserve their same relative positions. ll", however, it were desired to lead certain of the conductors into a conduit, A, at the left hand, as shown in dotted lines, the positions of such conductors wouldbereversed, the conductors from the left-hand side of the section A being then upon the right-hand side of the conduit A. If, however, for any reason it is desired to maintain the conductors in precisely the same relative positions,a second series of pillars may be extended from the point It to the point It, as indicated in dotted lines, for the purpose of serving the requirements of the conductors which are to be laid into the section A.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination, substantially ashercinbefore set forth, of a series of supportingbridgcs for electric conductors, having a series of upwardly-pro ecting fingers, in the sides of which are formed notches for receiving the conductors, non-conducting plates covering said notches, and a series of tapering pillars for receiving the conductors led from said fingers, and extending diagonally across the conduit containing said bridges.

2. In an underground conduit, the combination, substantially as hercinbei'bre set forth, of a bridge consisting of a seriesof upwardly projecting fingers for supporting electric con- ICC) IIO

ductors, and a series of pillars corresponding in number to the number of said fingers.

3. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, in a conduit for electric conductors, of means, substantially such as described, for supporting conductors throughout the length of said conduit, andaseries of conical pillars placed at the corners formed in said 'conduit,or by branch sections of said conduit.

4.. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, with a series of electric conductors, and means, substantially such as described, for supporting the same in different vertical planes within an underground conduit, of a series of conical taperingpillars placed at the points where said conductors deviate from straight lines, for supporting said conductors in such a manner that they may be led in different directions, said pillars having spiral grooves, substantially as described.

5. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, with a series of electric conductors, of means, substantially such as described, for supporting the same in different vertical and horizontal planes within anunderground conduit, and a series of pillars placed at the points where said conductors deviate from straight lines, for supporting said conductors in such a manner that they may be led in different directions, said pillars having spiral corrugations or grooves, substantially asidescribed.

6. In a conduit for underground lines, aseries of tapering grooved pillars extending along the line of intersection of two or more sections of conduit, substantially as described. 7. The combination, substantially as herein before set forth, with the conduits A and A, and the bridges E, of the pillars H, having the spiral grooves b.

8. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, in a conduit for underground lines, of a series of tapering grooved pillars arranged diagonally across said conduit, and supported at the top and bottom in the outer 5 walls of said conduit, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name this 31st day of January, A.

THOMAS L. SMITH.

Witnesses:

DANL. W. EDGEOOMB, CHARLES A. TERRY. 

